You Did WHAT!
by Lady of the Phoenix
Summary: Reno doesn't MEAN to do it, but Rude isn't happy and there is no way Reno is getting away with the accident excuse this time...


Author's Notes: I must admit it. This is the hardest challenge/gift fic I've been faced with. I've had easier times giving Reeve a happy ending, as rare as those are. I have been asked to use the words/ideas/themes of kernel, toe nail, broken light bulb, cat hair and fire extinguisher. On top of that, it's a Reno/Rude thing. Oy, what have I gotten myself into?

* * *

You Did WHAT?

Five seconds post mistake he knew just what kind of pain he would be in. Had his normally excellent reaction time kicked in instead of his whole body freezing up in shock, the pain could have been avoided as well. And if he'd had the guts to fess up then and there, well… you get the idea. Instead of doing something that logical though, Reno merely pretended it hadn't happened and continued on his merry little way. Still, a fear gnawed at the corner of his mind. When Rude did find out he was screwed.

Rude was more perceptive than Reno gave him credit for that particular night. He'd known that he'd had his sunglasses in the bathroom when he started the shower. They had been set on the counter by the sink. So when they weren't there and steamed up like normal when he got out, his suspicion was roused. Every inch of the bathroom underwent a thorough search, just in case he had not placed them where he had thought. When this proved to provide no evidence Rude quickly leapt to the completely right, and slightly wrong conclusion that Reno was responsible.

So began the great search. Nothing was left untampered with. Pillows were removed from cases, mattresses tossed to the floor, blankets flipped and reflipped and closets poked, prodded and peered into. In the end the room, well rooms, were left in a state of disarray such as you'd never seen before, and still Rude was left without his sunglasses. And on top of that, there was no Reno to demand answers from. Really, it was easier to deal with Reno breaking the precious shades right in front of Rude, because then the bald man at least knew what had happened. But no, he couldn't even be granted that grace. He couldn't even ignore the fact they were missing because that was his last pair until the shipment came in tomorrow.

If there was ever a worse time for Reno to possibly enter the room with the trash can responsible for the mistake… which meant that it was exactly when Reno entered. Murphy's law and all that you know? Reno's eye made contact with those of Rude and flinched. When Rude wasn't wearing his shades the big man could pull off a glare that would make Hojo or Rufus flinch back in fear. They were beautifully emotional eyes, and at the moment Reno was wishing he could block himself from their sight.

The eyes of the larger male flashed from the waste basket in Reno's hand, to Reno, and back. Instantly it clicked.

"You threw them away?" he asked, voice low and threatening.

"Uh… well. Ya see, it's like this…"

Rude cut Reno off merely by blinking. The red-head couldn't help but take a step back.

"Go get them."

Reno started stammering. "W…wwait big man. They… they went down the trash see? They… they're gone."

"Go get them."

"But that would mean going down the trash chute myself and searching through all that gunk and it's trash day tomorrow so…"

"Go get them," Rude snarled. And with that Reno slinked out of the room, conversation over as Rude started to set the room straight. Pillows were restored to cases. Mattresses replaced on beds, blankets folded, and the closet organized. In the end he plopped down in a comfortable chair, bathrobe exchanged for sweats, a t-shirt and fuzzy bunny slippers – and he happens to like those slippers – and read a book. It was a full hour later before there was sign of Reno's return.

The door was slowly opened, and a very filthy Reno stood there, holding out a pair of messy shades. There was some kind of gray gunk on one lens, and a yellowed toe nail sticking to the other. Reno was worse off than that. Cat hairs and bits of broken glass, maybe from a broken bottle or light bulb. The funniest thing was the kernels of corn clung to the red hair, probably unpopped from a bag of popcorn.

"Shower," Rude commanded. "I'll go get the fire extinguisher."

Reno, who was on his way to the bathroom already, stopped at that comment. "What? Why?"

Rude raised an eyebrow in a 'you must be kidding me' manner. "We're burning those clothes when you're done."

"But this is my favorite pair of ripped jeans!" the red-head protested. But when he met the eyes of the still shades-less Rude he just meeped and retreated into the bathroom.


End file.
